This invention relates to bird and butterfly feeders of the type that are ordinarily supplied with a sweet liquid or nectar. A perfect feeder that supplies nectar is one that is ant proof, bee proof, self-cleaning and attractive. Nectar feeders are available in three basic designs. The basin feeder is exemplified in the Kilham U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,527, the basin bottle is exemplified by the Williams U.S. Pat. No. 3,292,589, and the tube bottle feeder is exemplified by the Fowler U.S. Pat. No. 3,125,069. The tube bottle has certain disadvantages as it is hard to clean, tends to drip in warm weather and is messy to refill, particularly if it is not completely empty. The basin bottle holds more liquid than a straight basin feeder but it too drips if jarred by the wind or larger birds and is messy to refill. The basin feeder is a vast improvement and as it holds the nectar out of reach of most insects and larger birds. It is sometimes thought that its small capacity is a disadvantage but it also can be an advantage as the nectar will ferment after a couple of days and the mold that develops is dangerous to butterflies and hummingbirds and can kill them.
The instant invention eliminates many of the problems in the prior art and provides in a simple unitary structure, a built-in ant trap in the form of a central water filled dish, an overflow moat extending about the ant trap and a food trough which may be filled with nectar. This trough surrounds the moat. The design is such that the out trap will not overflow to the outside of the feeder and dilute nectar. Further, the food trough has no crevices and features arcuate bottom corners for easy cleaning. The holes, whether in the butterfly design or the hummingbird cover design, prevents bees from getting inside. In addition the cover is a friction fit over the dish and it facilitates easy cleaning and filling by the user. Even if the cover should be dislodged by the wind, the suspending rod rising from the dish prevents the cover from being lost.
A broad object to the invention, therefore, is to provide a feeder constructed for hummingbirds and butterflies as effective for preventing ants and other insects from crawling into the nectar in the feeder. Another object of the invention is to provide a feeder which may have interchangeable tops so that either a hummingbird top with a hummingbird feeder port can be rested upon the feeder dish or a butterfly cover may be provided which will have openings for the proboscis of a butterfly and a space allocated to rotting fruit to attract the butterfly to the feeder.